1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a print designating method and apparatus and printing method and apparatus, which are applied to a digital camera and a printer and so forth. More specifically, the present invention relates to a print designating method preferable for designating printing of a specified scene of a moving image in a camera that can electronically capture and record a moving image through an imaging device, a method for printing the designated image, and apparatus achieving the methods.
2. Description of Related Art
An image captured by a digital camera and the like is recorded in a recording medium such as a memory within the camera or a detachable memory card. The image can be displayed on a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor, and it can also be printed by a personal printer and appreciated. In addition, digital printing service (hereunder called a lab print service) has started for receiving from customers the recording medium in which image data is recorded and providing pictures of the images (still images) recorded in the recording mediums by means of printing.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-315107 discloses a camera that has both a moving image record mode and a still image record mode, and records in the recording medium a moving image or a still image by switching the record modes. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-99628 discloses a camera which can take out more than one specified image from the moving image or the recorded moving image and prepare still image data that is independent from the moving image data so as to be able to record the still image as well.
If a user desires printing of the still image by the lab print service and the printer, it is becoming common to capture the still image using an electronic still camera. In some cases, however, it has been required to print a specific scene in the moving image as a still image that was captured without intending to print at the time of capturing. In such a case that the scene is always moving, capturing of a satisfactory still image is difficult. Consequently, another need is suggested in that images are captured and recorded as moving images during capturing, then the best moment (a scene) is selected to be printed.
In the above-described circumstance, although print designation to a recorded still image is possible, the specific scene of the moving image captured with the camera of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-315107 cannot be designated to be printed. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-8537 discloses a printer that is adaptable for the print designating method used for services such as the lab print service; however, this printer cannot print the specific scene of the moving image that is designated beforehand.
By the camera of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-99628, the print designation for the specific scene of the moving image is possible since the specific scene can be taken out as a still image; however, the image data of the taken still image should be stored redundantly with the image data of the moving image, and the memory capacity of the recording medium is wasted.